Robin
I return home after yet another exhausting day at the bakery. It's starting to feel like all I do at the house is sleep.
Not that I don't love my job. But when I see Denny sitting by the Christmas tree surrounded by open ornament boxes, I'm reminded of the other things I have to look forward to in my life now.
He looks up and smiles. "Hey, babe." He gets up to greet me, pulling me into a warm hug and kissing my forehead. "How was work?"
I sigh and snuggle against him. "Long," I admit. I'm clearly burning my candle at both ends; I've been more tired than usual lately.
"Come sit with me." Denny leads me to the couch, carefully guiding me around the ornament boxes. I sink gratefully into the cushions, letting him tuck a blanket around my shoulders. "Are you hungry?"
"I should be," I answer, yawning. "I think I'm just too tired to process anything right now."
"I made chicken soup," Denny reveals. He knows that it's one of my favorites. "Let me get you some, okay?"
"Okay," I agree. I lay my head against a pillow, enjoying the warmth from the flickering fire. As I gaze around the living room, I notice that the ornament boxes Denny has out are all full.
I sit up, bending over to look in one. He returns and hands me a mug of soup. "Thanks," I tell him. Then I nod toward the ornament boxes. "Where did all of those come from?" I wonder.
Denny dips his head shyly and slips his hands into his pockets. "I got them," he confesses.
"There are so many," I observe.
He nods, sitting down next to me and putting his arm around my shoulders as I eat my soup. "For all the years we should have been together already," he explains.
I cuddle into his side. "That's sweet, Denny. Thank you."
"Maybe we can decorate the tree together when you have some time?"
"I'd like that, Denny." I look down and realize that my mug is empty. "Could I have more soup? It was good."
He chuckles. "Of course you can. Let me get it."
He goes to refill my mug and I move to the floor, picking through the ornaments carefully. They're all beautiful. I can tell that Denny spent time selecting each one.
I smile as I find one that's customized with a picture of us. It's a selfie Denny took; we're both smiling and laughing as he holds me close. The caption across the bottom reads, "You're my happily ever after."
"That's my favorite one," he admits, sitting down beside me again. He squeezes me and kisses my temple as I resume eating. "It's the truth, you know," he murmurs. "It's not the end of the story, but we are going to live happily ever after."
I nod. "Yes, Denny. We are." I've always believed that. He moves back and forth between belief and fear, but I've been hearing more belief lately.
For a few minutes, we just sit. I finish my soup as Denny holds me, then set my mug aside and turn my attention back to the ornament boxes. "Let's put them up now," I suggest.
"Are you sure, Robin? You need to rest."
"I know. But it's almost Christmas. They should be on the tree so we can enjoy them."
"Okay." Denny nods.
As we hang the ornament with the photo near the house ornament he gave me earlier this month, he pulls me close and kisses me. I kiss him back, my heart fluttering with anticipation.
I know that our journey together has only just begun.
